Dave Phinney and Bourbon

Interesting...

Dave Phinney is well known in oenological circles for his bold, robust winemaking style – he was, after all, the man behind The Prisoner and the wines of Orin Swift. He took the idea that he could use his wine barrels and add depth and dimension to whiskey. Dave has found some impeccable sources for this whiskey project, Savage & Cooke. A project that’s been years in the making, 

Intense and expressive.  Sweet butterscotch and candied spice take hold from the opening aromas through the finish. A hint of berry fruit balances it all out.  Boldly sweet on the nose, there’s an initial, toasted marshmallow note here but also a vegetal, gunpowder-heavy note that, sort of, counterbalances things. The palate is very, very sweet, initially a little daunting with notes of coffee cake, some eucalyptus, and a touch of honey. It’s the honey, touched with hints of tobacco and barrel char, that really lingers on the tongue, giving the experience a strangely exotic character with a sultry finish of vanilla, coffee beans, orange peel, some strawberry, and spicy chai tea — quite a combination, to be sure. 88 proof

The Burning Chair is a blend of bourbons from three distilleries sourced from various “small lots”: one in each Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. Each barrel is hand-selected for it’s unique attributes by Dave Phinney. Aged for a minimum of four years in new charred American oak barrels and then uniquely finished in barrels previously used for his Cabernet-based wines for eight long months, bringing waves of character to your glass. The mature Bourbon is titrated to 88 proof with pure, pristine water from Dave’s high elevation property in Alexander Valley in Northern California.